While slogans like “Abolish ICE” and calls to renounce Lincoln were never representative of the broader Democratic Party, Republicans have deftly weaponized them, tagging all of their opponents with attacks that have resonated in part because Democrats have often been reluctant to respond directly lest they highlight their own divisions, party strategists said. The combination of Biden’s poor approval ratings and the history of first midterms being tough for the president’s party has added more urgency to Democrats’ desire to find an effective counterpunch.

But many in the left reject the notion that their ideas on education, policing, racial equity and other issues are a liability for the party. They attribute the party’s political problems to more moderate Democrats who have stood in the way of the president’s ambitious agenda, a defiance that has set the stage for a fierce battle in coming months.

At rallies over the weekend for candidates in Texas, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) blamed Democratic woes on centrists such as Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.), who blocked Biden’s domestic spending plan.

“If you’re upset about Build Back Better, you can elect Jessica Cisneros,” said Ocasio-Cortez, referring to Biden’s proposal and a congressional candidate in Texas trying to unseat a Democratic incumbent.